1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing streaming media to users, and in particular, to a system and method for presenting a search utility in embedded video.
2. Description of the Related Art
The dissemination and playback of media programs has undergone substantial changes in the past decade. Previously, media programs (which may include audio, video, or both) were disseminated either by analog broadcast (conventional, satellite, or cable) or by dissemination of films to movie theaters.
These traditional dissemination and playback means remain in use after the advent of digital technology. However, digital technologies have had a profound effect on the dissemination and playback of media programs.
First, digital technology permitted the use of digital video recorders (DVRs). DVRs, while similar in function to standard analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), provide a number of additional useful functions including live pause, the ability to record one program while playing back another, and the integration of the electronic program guides with DVR functionality (so that the recordation of media programs could be scheduled far in advance).
Second, technology also permitted the dissemination and playback of media programs via the Internet, and with improved signal processing and more and more households with high-speed Internet access (e.g. DSL, fiber, satellite), this method of dissemination and playback has become competitive with traditional means. Dissemination of media programs via the Internet may occur either by simple downloading, progressive downloading or streaming.
For progressive download, a media file having the media program is downloaded via the Internet using dial-up, DSL, ADSL, cable, T1, or other high speed internet connections. Simple downloading downloads the bytes of the media file in any convenient order, while progressive download downloads bytes at the beginning of a file and continues downloading the file sequentially and consecutively until the last byte. At any particular time during progressive downloading, portions of the file are not immediately available for playback. In some situations, the entire file must be downloaded first before a media player can start playback. In other situations, media players are able to start playback once enough of the beginning of the file has downloaded, however, the media player must download enough information to support some form of playback before playback can occur. Playback is often delayed by slow Internet connections and is also often choppy and/or contains a high likelihood of stopping after only a few seconds. Downloaded material is thereafter stored on the end-user computer.
Streaming delivers media content continuously to a media player and media playback occurs simultaneously. The end-user is capable of playing the media immediately upon delivery by the content provider. Traditional streaming techniques originate from a single provider delivering a stream of data to a set of end-users. High bandwidths and central processing unit (CPU) power are required to deliver a single stream to a large audience, and the required bandwidth of the provider increases as the number of end-users increases.
Unlike progressive downloading, streaming media is delivered on-demand or live. Wherein progressive download requires downloading the entire file or downloading enough of the entire file to start playback at the beginning, streaming enables immediate playback at any point within the file. End-users may skip through the media file to start playback or change playback to any point in the media file. Hence, the end-user does not need to wait for the file to progressively download. Typically, streaming media is delivered from a few dedicated servers having high bandwidth capabilities.
Streaming media and progressive downloading allows the media to be played back via media players that can be embedded in the web pages of third parties. For example, a first entity such as search portal GOOGLE (www.google.com) may embed a media player in one of their hosted webpages that is provided in response to a search query. Or, a commercial entity such as AMAZON (www.amazon.com) may embed a media player in one of their hosted webpages. Or, a blogger may embed a media program player to playback a video of interest to the readers.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary browser 106 presenting a webpage 103 of a blog. In the illustrated embodiment, the browser 106 includes an address input region 102, a search query input region 104, and a search button 105. The browser may also include a scroll handle 108, which, by use of a mouse and associated pointer 116 can be selected and moved throughout the scroll region 110 to view a webpage too large to depict in the browser at one time. The blog includes an embedded media player 114, and blog text 104. Typically, the media program that is to be played by the embedded media player is provided by a third party. That is, it is not provided by the blogger or the website hosting the blog.
If the viewer of the blog is intrigued at the content of the media program player 114, they can perform a web search by entering a search query of interest into the search entry input region 104 and selecting the search button 105. In the illustrated embodiment, the user has entered the search query “show me a window” and selected the search button 105.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the probable result from an entered search query. The initial webpage 103 is no longer shown, and webpage 202 is shown in its place. Webpage 202 includes a second search query input region 202 and search button 204 that can be used to execute another search. The webpage 202 also includes search results for “show me a window” which includes a plurality of search results 206-212 responsive to the search request. The search results 206-212 include a first search result 206 which includes a thumbnail 206A and a hyperlink 206B to the media program depicted in the thumbnail 206A. Similar thumbnails 208A-212A are associated with hyperlinks 208B-212B. A new media player 214 may also be shown in the new webpage 202.
Noteworthy is the fact that after the user executes the search described above, the user is presented with a new webpage with the results of the search query. As a result, any further benefit to the blogger and the third party that provided the embedded video will be lost, as newly presented webpage 203 diverts the user to other websites. This is undesirable for both the blogger and the provider of the media program revenue, because it negatively affects metrics (e.g. page views and clickthroughs) that drive advertising revenue and the value of the website.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that allows the users viewing webpages with embedded media players to perform additional searches and view the results without being redirected to a different webpage. The present invention satisfies this need.